Sanon

Bagan, Burma

Critical Need

Bagan is located in one the driest areas of Burma. Long dry seasons make it difficult for families to rely on agriculture for income. This leaves families and youth with a need for new, sustainable income sources. Our partners at the Myanmar Youth Development Institute (MYDI) are working to do just that, while paving a future for marginalized youth in the process.

Our Involvement

MYDI started the Sanon Training Restaurant in Bagan as a means to provide accessible training for youth in the region. This restaurant employs 30 marginalized youth every year, providing them the training and education they need to succeed in the hospitality industry. The youth are also provided with room and board during the training period. A major focus of the training is practicing verbal English skills to better accommodate international travellers and set these trainees apart from other hospitality workers. G Adventures will be sending 300 travellers annually to Sanon so the students can practice their skills with a stable customer base.

Impact

All trainees are monitored for two years after completing the training program at Sanon to ensure that they have found employment and have adjusted well into their professional life. Three students recently were offered jobs with Pandaw Cruises and several international hotel chains have already showed interest in hiring Sanon graduates. All profits generated from the restaurant are used to fund student’s training, accommodations, uniforms, food, trainers and even a social worker. MYDI is confident that their holistic training model will result in all students finding employment, helping youth that were orphaned or from difficult family situations pave a future for themselves in the hospitality industry.